Payment Processor Comparison Calculator
Compare real total costs for Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Braintree, and more — including the often-missed Shopify transaction fee that applies to every third-party processor.
Full Cost Breakdown
| Processor | Processing Fee | Shopify Tx Fee | Gateway Fee | Total/mo | vs Best |
|---|
Cheapest Processor by Revenue Level
Excludes Plus-only options. Shows top 3 cheapest at each revenue tier for your selected plan.
| Revenue/mo | 🥇 Cheapest | Cost | 🥈 2nd | Cost | Extra vs Best |
|---|
Processor Feature Comparison
| Feature | Shopify Pmts | Stripe | PayPal | Auth.net | Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify tx fee | None ✓ | 0.5–2% | 0.5–2% | 0.5–2% | 0.5–2% |
| Chargeback fee | $15 | $15 | $20 | $25 | $15 |
| Intl card surcharge | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1% |
| Saved cards / wallets | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shop Pay acceleration | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Shopify analytics sync | Full ✓ | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Fraud protection | Shopify Protect | Radar | Fraud tools | Adv. fraud | Fraud tools |
| ACH / bank debit | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Buy now pay later | ✓ Shop Pay | ✗ | ✓ Pay Later | ✗ | ✗ |
| Monthly fee | None | None | None or $30 | $25 | None |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which payment processor is cheapest for Shopify?
Shopify Payments is almost always cheapest because it eliminates the 0.5–2% Shopify transaction fee charged on all third-party processors. At $20,000/month on Basic plan, using Stripe instead of Shopify Payments adds $400/month in transaction fees — even with identical processing rates. The exception: very high-volume merchants who can negotiate sub-2% enterprise rates.
What is Shopify's transaction fee and which processors trigger it?
Shopify charges 2% (Basic), 1% (Shopify plan), 0.5% (Advanced), or 0.15% (Plus) on every sale processed through a third-party provider. Every processor except Shopify Payments triggers this — Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net, Square, and Braintree included. The only way to avoid it: use Shopify Payments.
Can I use Stripe with Shopify without paying transaction fees?
No. On Shopify Basic, a $100 Stripe sale costs $2.90+$0.30 (Stripe) + $2.00 (Shopify) = $5.20 in total fees vs $3.20 with Shopify Payments. The Shopify transaction fee makes Stripe 63% more expensive at this plan level.
When does PayPal make sense for Shopify?
As a secondary checkout option alongside Shopify Payments — not as primary processor. PayPal as an alternative can increase conversion 5–15% for certain buyers who prefer it. Since it still triggers Shopify's transaction fee, use it as additive rather than replacing Shopify Payments.
Is Authorize.net worth the monthly gateway fee for Shopify?
Almost never for standard Shopify stores. Authorize.net costs $25/month gateway fee + 2.9%+30¢ + Shopify transaction fee. The $300/year gateway fee alone is significant. It makes sense only for specific B2B, ACH/eCheck, or legacy enterprise requirements.
What's the cheapest processor for high-volume Shopify?
Shopify Plus + Shopify Payments: 2.15%+30¢ rate and only 0.15% third-party fee. Some Plus merchants negotiate custom rates below 2%. Enterprise processors like Braintree can offer sub-2% at very high volume, but the 0.15% Shopify Plus transaction fee makes them competitive only above ~$1M/month.
The Hidden Cost of Third-Party Payment Processors on Shopify
Most Shopify sellers compare payment processor rates directly — 2.9%+30¢ for Stripe vs 2.9%+30¢ for Shopify Payments — and assume they're equivalent. They're not. Shopify adds an invisible surcharge on every sale processed through a non-Shopify provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Shopify plan, 0.5% on Advanced, 0.15% on Plus.
At $20,000/month revenue on Shopify Basic, this means Stripe actually costs $5.20 per $100 sale (2.9%+30¢ Stripe + 2% Shopify) vs $3.20 with Shopify Payments. That's 63% more in fees — $400/month purely from the hidden transaction fee.
The only exception: Shopify Plus. Plus drops the third-party transaction fee to 0.15% and also offers negotiated Shopify Payments rates. At very high volume with Plus, enterprise processors like Braintree (2.59%+49¢) with 0.15% Shopify fee can occasionally beat Shopify Payments — but only above roughly $800K/month.
When to use multiple processors: Offer Shopify Payments as primary + PayPal as secondary. PayPal's buyer trust can increase conversion rate for the 20–30% of buyers who prefer it. Since both trigger their respective fees only when used, the effective additional cost of offering PayPal is the marginal volume it adds × its higher rate — often net positive.
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